Chapter 193: Blown Away
As Rhodes and Kizaru conversed, Drake and the other Supernovas gradually regained consciousness. They immediately scrambled to their feet and retreated to a safe distance.
After their previous encounter, the arrogance and swagger they'd cultivated while dominating the first half of the Grand Line had been thoroughly shattered by Kizaru.
Now, they felt nothing but profound respect for those who stood at the pinnacle of power.
"As expected of the Marine Headquarters' ultimate military force... that monster is simply beyond our current level."
Perhaps because they'd been beaten down together, Drake, Hawkins, and the others temporarily formed an uneasy alliance and didn't immediately flee.
"That swordsman—is he the new Warlord, the Dragon Slayer? Can he actually handle that monster?"
Disbelief filled the Mad Monk Urouge's expression.
"Impossible."
Drake shook his head, his tone absolutely certain.
"Maybe he can hold his ground for a while, but he's definitely no match for an Admiral."
As a former Rear Admiral, Drake had personally witnessed the catastrophic power Admirals wielded.
If the Vice Admirals of Headquarters represented the absolute limits of mortal capability, and great pirates were called monsters capable of dominating entire regions, then the Marine Admirals were something else entirely—apex predators who could single-handedly annihilate nations and project their influence across the entire world.
"For real, for real," Scratchmen Apoo nodded vigorously in his distinctive speech pattern. After experiencing an Admiral's overwhelming power firsthand, he simply couldn't believe this seemingly young Rhodes could possibly stand against one.
Only Basil Hawkins remained silent, his eyes flickering with unreadable calculation.
In the battlefield—
"They are Celestial Dragons, after all. The Marines must provide... an appropriate response~"
As he spoke, Kizaru's expression remained characteristically lazy, but his eyes sharpened with genuine intensity.
He was a Marine Admiral. Even if he preferred taking it easy, his opponent had to be worthy of serious effort. If Rhodes collapsed from a single attack, even slacking off would seem excessive.
With explosive suddenness, his form flashed forward—closing the distance to Rhodes in an instant. His leg shimmered with concentrated yellow light as he launched a devastating roundhouse kick.
To the watching Supernovas, Kizaru's movement appeared like pure teleportation—completely impossible to follow.
But Rhodes, with his Thunder God form active and his nervous system supercharged with electricity, reacted perfectly.
He raised Spectre horizontally to block.
BOOM!
When blade met leg, a thunderous explosion echoed across the grove. The Pika Pika no Mi wasn't merely about speed—each impact carried explosive force sufficient to shatter the massive Yarukiman Mangroves with a single blow!
The ground fractured under the terrible impact, and the air itself roared with displaced force.
Rhodes was inevitably sent flying backward, but he swiftly employed Geppo to kick off the air itself, dispersing the momentum before floating down gracefully—completely unharmed and having lost no ground whatsoever.
"He blocked it without taking any damage!" Drake and the other Supernovas gasped collectively.
"Your speed isn't quite as overwhelming as I expected, Kizaru."
Rhodes stood with Spectre held loosely, watching Kizaru slowly emerge from the dissipating blast with a faint smile.
The three Marine Admirals all possessed world-ending levels of power, but each had distinct specializations.
Rhodes had never encountered Akainu or Aokiji personally, so his understanding of them remained theoretical.
But Kizaru was undeniably a pure speedster. With his Pika Pika no Mi, he could infiltrate even the Yonko territories with impunity—virtually unstoppable when he chose to move.
"How terrifying A Shichibukai with such capabilities"
Kizaru's voice hadn't finished echoing before his glowing form materialized directly behind Rhodes, launching another devastating kick.
This time, his speed increased noticeably—clearly getting serious.
However, Rhodes remained utterly composed, almost leisurely in his movements. He casually pivoted and once again intercepted Kizaru's attack with a single sword stroke.
BOOM!
Another massive explosion erupted, but this time brilliant silver lightning burst from Rhodes's blade. Light and electricity intertwined, releasing a deafening shockwave of raw energy.
The tremendous residual force radiated outward, instantly causing nearby buildings to tremble before crumbling into rubble.
"Just as I suspected."
Rhodes observed with calm analytical interest. He'd theorized that Kizaru's actual reaction speed represented the upper limit of his combat effectiveness, and this exchange confirmed it.
The Pika Pika no Mi's movement speed could reach light-speed, but Kizaru's neural processing speed fell far short of that theoretical maximum. To execute any attack, he still needed to formulate intent, transmit neural signals to his body, and then perform the physical movements.
Of course, Kizaru had clearly trained his reflexes extensively to complement his Devil Fruit ability, so his reaction speed still exceeded most combatants by a wide margin.
But Rhodes was different. Between his lightning-enhanced neural acceleration and the dramatic cognitive improvements from the Book of Knowledge, his reaction speed was truly exceptional—potentially even surpassing Kizaru's. This was why he appeared so effortlessly composed in battle, casually deflecting Kizaru's attacks.
"How terrifying indeed~!"
Kizaru exclaimed again, but this time his tone carried no mockery—only genuine seriousness and a hint of strain.
He'd always been renowned for his speed, making it his greatest combat asset and source of dominance.
But he'd never expected to encounter someone who could match him—much less feel pressured by someone so much younger.
And he couldn't forget that Rhodes was Vice Admiral Momousagi's former student!
This realization stirred something in Kizaru—a competitive drive he hadn't felt in years.
Ama no Murakumo!
Brilliant photons converged, ultimately forming a gleaming blade of concentrated light.
Kizaru gripped the lightsaber with both hands and slashed viciously toward Rhodes.
Seeing this, Rhodes smiled slightly and met the attack fearlessly with Spectre.
CLANG!
As the yellow photon blade collided with the silver lightning-wreathed Spectre, the sound of clashing metal rang out impossibly loud.
The ground shattered beneath them, earth and debris erupting like massive waves. Nearby buildings collapsed entirely, blown backward by the combined shockwave.
CLANG!
Both fighters retreated momentarily before launching into even more ferocious exchanges.
Amid dazzling flashes of light and continuous explosions, the two figures clashed with terrifying intensity—moving so swiftly that Drake and the other Supernovas could barely perceive them, their speeds exceeding normal human visual processing.
All that remained visible were the astonishing shockwaves erupting from each fierce collision. The sky trembled, the earth quaked, and terrifying meter-wide cracks split the ground in every direction. The scene was utterly apocalyptic.
It resembled nothing less than a battle between gods!
Such overwhelming power was incomprehensible to the watching Supernovas. Each individual clash possessed enough force to fracture the earth and demolish four-story buildings, and their movement speed was simply impossible to follow.
Yasakani no Magatama (a sacred jewel)!
Kizaru's eyes darkened with cold focus. His attacks had been completely neutralized by Rhodes—unable to suppress this younger opponent. Faint irritation flickered through him as he suddenly unleashed a barrage of brilliant yellow light projectiles.
"Thunder Dragon Slash!"
Rhodes, his fighting spirit fully ignited, unleashed his signature technique. From Spectre's edge, a massive dragon formed of pure crackling lightning materialized—fangs bared and claws extended—as it surged toward Kizaru with devastating intent.
This represented the complete fusion of Rhodes's Thunder abilities and his swordsmanship. The pale silver lightning force took physical form, vivid and lifelike, carrying destructive power and cutting edge that seemed capable of splitting the heavens.
BOOM!
The Thunder Dragon's power proved unstoppable. It possessed not only the raw destructive force of lightning but also the razor-sharp cutting power of master-level swordsmanship. After a brief clash, it tore through the concentrated light barrage and sent Kizaru flying backward.
(End of Chapter)
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